Newcastle Explosion - pictures show damage caused

Four people remain in hospital after a massive explosion in Benwell.

Emergency services were called out to Violet Close in the early hours.

This is the scene of the incident now, in broad daylight.

Our reporter Sophie Green has been on hand this morning speaking to local residents at the site.

A spokesperson for North East Ambulance Service said: "We were called to an incident in the Elswick area of Newcastle at 00.45h today (16 Oct).

“We dispatched four paramedic crews, four crews from our hazardous area response team (HART), a doctor, a specialist paramedic, a clinical team leader, a duty officer and a tactical advisor to the scene.

"We treated and conveyed four patients - three adults and one child - to hospital for further treatment."

Emergency services are going to there for quite some time - which means people living on Violet Close and some surrounding addresses will be put up in temporary accommodation

More to follow.

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